By Nanette Wiser
Want to be the best host on the block? Raise the bar! Entertain your quaran-team six feet apart on the patio by adorning a bar cart.
The cocktail hour has made a resurgence, thanks to our stay-at-home, safe distancing “new normal.” Bar carts have been around for decades and have enjoyed a surge in popularity recently for a variety of reasons. Call it the “Mad Men” effect, which had Americans remembering a boozier time when three-martini lunches were a given and most offices had fully stocked bar carts for an afternoon tipple.
You can buy a new bar cart (Home Depot, Lowe’s, Target, Wayfair, World Market) or re-purpose an antique bar or garden cart. Patina, Pier One, Tuesday Morning and Home Goods offer accessories, from ice buckets to cool glasses and bartending doo-dads. The Dollar Tree’s whimsical stirrers, paper straws and cocktail napkins add panache to the cocktail hour.
Sync Siri to the theme, be it tiki concoctions (Jimmy B), rum runners (Bob Marley) or classic Manhattans (Sinatra, Buble). “The Art of the Bar Cart” and Pinterest yield dozens of bar cart styles for entertaining like a pro.
Choose Your Cart: Bamboo, rattan and metal work well, especially with wheels. Lucite is very glammy. Glitz it up with twinkling candles, flowers or potted herbs (mint, basil, lavender). If you don’t have room for a bar cart, set up a pretty tray with your cocktail essentials.
Dress It Up: Paint a rock to match your cocktail napkins to hold them down. Repurpose vases and cool pots to hold barware, a tall glass pitcher to hold lemons, limes and oranges for garnishing your drinks. Weave in statement glassware, collectibles in pink, turquoise and yellow.
Stock Up: Artisan mixers, stuffed olives, twists and salted (or sugared) rims from Luekens, Total Wine, ABC Liquors and other adult candyland stores set the mood. Pick interesting bottles to display on the top shelf, your daily drink supplies and snack canister on the bottom, varying heights and colors.
Drink Ideas: Serve cocktails on tap in a beautiful dispenser. Try a sparkling lemonade or sangria with Prosecco. Fruit-infused water (or vodka) is always a hit. Plan a tasting around boutique bourbons or artisan whiskeys, and be sure to pick up something amazing from St. Petersburg Distillery or Kozuba.